M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 24

Vote for Your Favorite Book of the Month of April! May’s Book Cover of the Month Has Kicked Off!

Greetings all,

This marks the end of the first phase of the new Book Cover of the Month competition. We could still use your help voting, and now it matters because one of the two brackets I’m going to talk about is the winner-take-all 2021 April Book Cover of the Month.

So first, let’s announce the winner for week 4.

The cover for The Rebel Beneath The Stairs by E.E. Holmes was just a beautiful cover. I love the light and font. I love the composition. It truly deserves to be in the April overall bracket.

That means it’s time to pick your favorite for the whole month. You can vote at this link here. This form will be open for two weeks. Please vote and tell your friends so the best cover wins.

You can also vote for your favorite Week 1 2021 May Book Cover of the Month right here!

I’d be grateful if you would be so kind as to watch my channel, where I talk about all seven of the covers and why I think they were so cool.

Remember to vote for your favorite through the link I provided above! You guys can choose who wins the title and then support your favorite in the yearly competition (obviously next year)! I hope you’ll participate.

Thanks for reading and watching,

Matt

Visits From A Man Named Nobody 27

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

Paul then began what was essentially an interrogation on the laws of physics. He asked question after question, and Bill patiently answered every one of them.

“Are you sure you don’t want to play that game?” Bill asked.

“They can wait,” Paul said. “I don’t understand that last part, can you explain it again?”

Bill laughed. He started to speak, but Paul’s mom called them for dinner.

“Can’t we stay up here longer?” Paul shouted.

“Your mother called us down.” The tone was gentle, but it had a sudden firmness to it. “She didn’t ask if we were ready or not.”

The smile on his face took the edge off the demanding look in his eyes. It all felt sort of like being hit with a pillow. It didn’t hurt, but Paul knew it was a reprimand. Something about it reminded Paul of Nobody and that no-nonsense demeanor he always had. 

“Sorry, Mom!” Paul shouted down the stairs. “We’re coming down.”

He turned off his TV and console and made his way to the dining room. As they walked down, Bill started to offer the explanation as they walked.

He was still explaining the effects of energy and thermodynamics when they took their seats at the table. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Paul’s mom asked.

“Physics,” they said together. 

“Oh, so you’ve learned what Bill does for a living,” his mother said.

Paul gave an embarrassed shrug. “I probably should have listened to you more when you talked about him.”

“You actually understand that stuff?” His mother didn’t seem to feel like the apology needed to be addressed. They were talking now, and that’s what mattered.

“He has absolutely been studying this stuff closely.” Bill’s compliment made Paul’s chest swell. It was genuine recognition from an actual scientist.

“Are you just saying that because you’re dating my mom?” The thought occurred to Paul even as he asked the question.

Bill cocked his head and nodded in thought. “I can see why you’d think that might be a suspicion, but I won’t offer you a false compliment. I’m not saying you should come work with me next week. I’m just saying is obvious you have a passion for this, and you seem be be learning quickly.”

There wasn’t a way to know if Bill was just deflecting or if he really felt that way, but Paul chose to believe him. Paul wanted desperately to believe him. 

They sat down together and passed food around. Paul dug in, but he froze when he saw Bill from the corner of his eye. The man folded his hands in front of himself and bowed his head in prayer. Paul wondered if Bill was waiting for everyone else, but then Bill whispered “A-men.”  He didn’t talk out loud, and it wasn’t a very long prayer, but Paul didn’t know what to do. Was he supposed to pray, too? 

Bill just smiled and went to eating. Paul stared. Bill took a few bites of food before he realized Paul was watching him. 

“Is something wrong?” Bill asked.

“We’ve never said grace,” Paul’s mother explained.

Bill smiled. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just say grace before I eat.”

“So, you’re religious?” Paul asked.

“I’m Christian,” Bill said. 

“But you’re a scientist.” Paul couldn’t believe it.

“Did someone tell you those two things are exclusive?” Bill asked. Again, the question reminded Paul of Nobody. 

“Well, how can you believe in Christianity when you know it’s not true?” Something in Paul felt wrong at the question. A part of him felt like he was letting Nobody down, but the truth was he didn’t believe. 

Sure, the Bible had a lot of useful comments and tools. Maybe there was a God, but science and Christianity just didn’t mesh, at least not with the Bible. 

Bill tilted his head again in thought. “I’m willing to talk about it with you, but I’m curious. Are you trying to understand my thoughts and beliefs, or are you trying to argue for your own?”

Paul froze. He still hadn’t touched his dinner. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Bill said, “some people truly just want to discuss what they believe so they better understand each other. Others don’t really want to understand people, they just want to dispute and argue with them.  I’m not interested in an argument, especially at dinner.”

Betrayed is out!

Greetings all,

I’m so happy to report that Betrayed is live! You can head over here and pickup the ebook for $3.99. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m so thankful for your patience.

The print book isn’t far behind. It’s way easier for me to get an ebook out than a print version, but I’ll work on that over the next few days. I’ll have to format it. Then I’ll need to have a proof sent to make sure it looks good. Once that’s done, the print version will be out.

For now though, I hope you’ll consider giving Betrayed a chance. If you liked Caught, I honestly think you’ll love Betrayed!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Demon Slayer Volume 10 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Spoiler Free Summary: Demon Slayer Volume 10 by Koyoharu Gotouge is the tenth volume in the Demon Slayer manga. The battle with Daki, one of the upper rank six, is in full swing, and Tanjiro must find a way to defeat her, but if a Hashira like Uzui struggles to fight her, what can Tanjiro do. They must all work together, but things only get worse when the team discovers this deomn’s unique ability.

Character: Things really develop well here as most of of the cast finds a new level. This isn’t just in regard to their combat ability. Tanjiro is starting to formulate his own philosophy, and that philosophy is going to be critical going forward. This character growth is particularly interesting considering this volume is mostly a fight sequence. We see Tanjiro’s growth and Uzui’s softer side all while the battle plays out.

The cover image for this volume was taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Exposition: Since this is an action volume, there isn’t too much need for exposition, but there are a few text boxes that offer some explanation. The exposition is ever bit as sparse as it is unnecessary (in a good way).

Worldbuilding: Again, this volume (which is currently my second favorite (see my review for 15 later on)) takes a wonderful stride here in the worldbuilding because we see a deeper history of everything. We finally catch a glimpse of what the big bad fears so much about Tanjiro’s technique. It’s honestly only a glimpse, but it has such an impact on the series as a whole.

Dialogue: This is sort of par for the Demon Slayer course. It has moments of adorable interaction and comedic fun. There’s also some 1980’s cartoon villain speak, but I honestly like it. I think it’s fair to say some will think it’s a bit hokey, but I think it fits.

Description: This fight scene continues in this chapter (but it doesn’t end here, buy 9-11 and read it all) and the art and storyboard sequences are amazing. It makes me so hungry to see this animated because it will be epic. The art is enough to tide me over until I can see it all play out. You’ll need a careful eye here because there are some details one needs to note as this story continues.

Overall: This volume was my favorite overall until I read Volume 15, but for my money I still think the fight in this volume was the best (and that’s a very tough call to make). It has the right blend of comedy, action, emotion, and plot progression. It doesn’t stand alone though as the whole arc actually ends in Volume 11, so that’s kind of a demerit. The simple truth is I couldn’t put this down, and since I’ve read Volume 10, I don’t really want to stop reading at all. That’s how awesome this volume is.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Announcing the Week 3 2021 April Book Cover of the Month! Vote for Week 4’s Cover

Greetings all,

My Book Cover of the Month contest is back in the swing of things. Things have picked up a bit more, but we still aren’t getting a ton of votes. I’d be much obliged if you took a few moments to let your voice be heard. The good news is I didn’t have to break a tie. I had ten votes, so we are growing. I still need your help to get this back to the level of support it had a few years ago before I went on hiatus regarding book covers.

So first, let’s announce the winner for week 3.

The cover for City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston is just beautiful. The font might leave a little to be desired, but the detail in the dress and the perfection of the composition more than make up for it.

But, as one week passes, another begins. So you can vote for your favorite Week 4 2021 April Book Cover of the Month right here!

I’d be grateful if you would be so kind as to watch my channel, where I talk about all seven of the covers and why I think they were so cool. My middle son joined me for this episode, so that was nice of him.

Remember to vote for your favorite through the link I provided above! This means that City of Time and Magic join The Lost Apothecary and Spellmaker in the finals for the 2021 April Book Cover of the Month! You guys can choose who wins the title and then support your favorite in the yearly competition (obviously next year)! I hope you’ll participate.

Thanks for reading and watching,

Matt

Visits From A Man Named Nobody 26

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

Seven

March 19, 2027, 4:30 p.m. 

18 Years, 363 Days Ago

Bill wasn’t anything like Paul’s father. Paul’s father was a tall, square man. Bill was a short, slender man. Bill was quiet. After ten minutes of sitting awkwardly in their living room, Bill hadn’t said much. Paul’s father was always laughing or shouting loudly.  Paul’s father was tan with dark hair. Bill was pale with brown hair that was just a few shades away from blond. 

It seemed to Paul that his mother couldn’t have done a better job of finding the complete opposite of his father. 

The thing was, the guy wasn’t talking. They just sat around the living room snacking off a plate of cookies that was on the oval table between the sofa and the recliner. 

“Why don’t you tell Paul about what you do for a living?” his mother asked.

Bill smiled, which might be the only thing that even remotely reminded Paul of his dad. “I’m not sure if that’s something that would interest him. Paul, what are your hobbies?”

Paul shrugged. 

They all went back to silently staring at each other. 

I’m not doing a very good job of giving him a chance, Paul thought to himself. 

It wasn’t for lack of want. He just didn’t have the first clue what to say. “I like video games.” Paul guessed at least answering the man’s questions was a start.

“First-person shooters, right?” Bill asked. 

“Yeah.” Paul’s mother probably told him. But if Paul’s mother told him so much, what was there for Paul to say?

“Why don’t you show me?” Bill asked. 

Paul’s posture straightened, and his head whipped around to his mother. “Can I?”

She laughed, and for some reason, she blushed. “Whatever you like. He’s here to get to know you. But maybe you can both be ready for dinner in a hour?”

“I wouldn’t miss your cooking for anything,” Bill said.

Paul thought he might get a cavity from how much sappy affection Bill laced into his statement, but his mother only turned a darker shade of red. 

Wow! She really likes him.

Paul darted up the stairs. “Come on!” 

He didn’t wait to see if Bill followed. He had permission to play video games, so he was going to play. He practically flew into his room and turned on his console. He turned on two controllers. Bill could play if he wanted. 

Indeed, Bill showed up by the time console reached the home screen. He tucked up his tan slacks before sitting cross legged on the floor beside Paul, who’d pulled the chair from his desk to sit on. 

“Oh,” Paul said. “Did you want my chair?”

“This is your room,” Bill said. “I’m fine here.”

Paul shrugged. They started the game. Paul focused on his side of the split screen and started moving his character around. It was a World War II game. The characters were American soldiers, and each level was a different mission that was at least based on an actual WW II battle. 

“So, what do you do for a living?” Paul asked. 

“It’s not terribly exciting, but I love it,” Bill answered. “The title is called a researcher.” 

Paul immediately paused the game. “You’re a researcher!?”

Bill turned to look at him. “Mary said you showed an interest in science, but I didn’t think you’d find it that exciting.”

Paul dropped the controller and turned his chair toward him. His mom could have just told Paul what he did for a living. Then again, he hardly ever paid attention to her when she went on about Bill. But now that he knew this, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.

“Are you a science researcher?”

Bill nodded and flashed that smile. Paul realized the man’s smile wasn’t like his father’s. Sure, they showed an equal number of teeth, but Bill’s smile didn’t seem so forced or smug.

“Applied or theoretical?” Paul asked.

Bill’s delicate eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “You really do like the field.”

Paul nodded. 

“Theoretical, I’m afraid.”

“Why?” Paul asked. “Lots of great scientists were theoretical.”

Bill frowned in thought and nodded. “I’m not saying I don’t love my field. I just wish we could test some of the theories we’re considering.”

“How did my mom meet you?” Paul loved science, but he didn’t think his mother understood half of his homework. 

“This may come as a surprise to you, but sometimes we scientists need coffee.” He smiled as he said it. It was like telling Paul he knew guys like Bill didn’t often run into women like  Paul’s mother. 

“I don’t honestly know how it led to a date,” Bill continued. “All I knew was that she was beautiful, and my plan was to keep her talking until she made it clear she didn’t want to talk anymore. We’ve been talking ever since.”

“About what?” Paul asked. 

“Whatever keeps her talking to me.” Bill smiled again. “As long as she’s happy and talking and spending time with me, I don’t care what the subject is.”

“Wait, you just sat there and listened?” Paul asked.

“When a woman as pretty as your mom is talking to you, yes.” Bill laughed.

The laugh wasn’t bold and loud like Paul’s father used to do. It was a soft chuckle that sounded half embarrassed. “I talk about work now and then, but mostly just about how the day went. It’s not like theoretical physics is the most interesting subject.”

“Yes it is!” Paul got up and pushed the chair back just to make room to sit down on the floor with Bill. “How would one travel through space? How much energy would be required to demolecularise a person and reform him at another location?”

Bill looked stunned. “Wow, you’ve really put a lot of thought into this. Why teleportation?”

Paul nearly just blabbered on about Nobody. He only just managed to snap his jaw shut. He gave it another moment of thought before saying, “I just really believe it’s possible.”

“Fascinating.” Bill looked up as if he noticed something on the ceiling. Paul realized it was just Bill’s thinking face. “Well, it’s not the field I’m studying. I suppose I could find some articles and other published works in the area if you wanted to read them.”

“You’re awesome! This is so cool! I’m finally going to start really figuring it out!” Paul couldn’t stop himself.

“How long have you been thinking about this?”

“Eight years.”

“Aren’t you sixteen?” 

“Yeah.”

“Wow!” Bill said that a lot. “You really did start young.”

… to be continued …

Marketing Journal: Encouraging Progress!

The last time I updated you on the marketing efforts, I managed to bring down the monthly bill by a bit. But the great news is that as I’ve continued to work, the results have continued to be, as the headline implies, encouraging.

To review:

The first thing I did was stop all key words that didn’t net a single sale after 20 clicks.

I had to patiently (and I still find some every other day) eliminate all key words bids above 25 cents.

Any new campaigns followed settings above.

My fear was my costs would go down, but my sales would plummet.

That’s not the case. The wonderful news is that my marketing bill went down.

After one month, my bill was already $50 less.

Sure, I only had six sales and a handful of pages read, but I wasn’t too far away from the 10 books a month I sold with the super-costly keywords. But with patience and persistence (and God’s kind grace), I just kept at it.

The cost for the month of March wasn’t much less expansive, but look at the sales.

What this means is my costs leveled off, and my sales increased, which was the exact goal I had. Obviously, the month of April isn’t done yet, but I can tell you now the costs is down, and I have a shot at repeating the sales.

This is the general goal. As each month progresses, I’m still doing what I did to improve sales (identifying key words that seem to work and building campaigns around them). I’m also still testing the market in Germany, and those results are encouraging as well, but I want to wait another month before I study those results.

No, these aren’t results that say it’s time to quit the day job. However, success isn’t instant. This process is an endurance race. You try something, and then you adjust. I’m just happy that things are moving in a forward direction.

What I’ve learned that I can share with you at this point:

Start your campaigns soon. The progress I’ve made in about a half-year or year is progress I could have made over six years.

Never bid more than 25 cents for any keyword. Sure, you’ll get clicks, but you’ll pay out the ear. I recommend this formula: (.70 X PRICE OF YOUR BOOK) / 20. If a keyword doesn’t get you a sale within 20 clicks, it’s probably not working for you.

You could stand to work on your book blurb. A lot of times, when the clicks aren’t converging, it might be traced to reviews or book blurbs that don’t promise the same thing as your sell copy on your campaigns. However, you can only draft so many blurbs, and you don’t really have a ton of control over reviews. You can control these other things.

I’ll continue to track my results and share them with you.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Demon Slayer Volume 9 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Spoiler Free Summary: Demon Slayer Volume 9 by Koyoharu Gotouge is the ninth volume in the Demon Slayer manga. Tanjiro and his friends agree to join Hashira Tengen Uzui (if only to protect his young friends back at what I call the base camp). Unfortunately, none of the boys asked why Uzui wanted women for this mission. They have to infiltrate a Geisha house, and Tanjiro and his friends volunteered. When they learn one of the Upper Six is hunting in the area, they’ll have to decide if they’re ready for such a challenge.

Character: Tanjiro is adorable as always, and this chapter is strictly comic relief. Sure it builds to a large plot, but it’s really just putting the characters in shameful positions for the sake of laughs, which, I guess, some people like, but I think Tanjiro’s innocence is funny enough sometimes. There is a “beauty” angle (a little on the nose even from my perspective), but we don’t see him grow in this volume, and that’s frustrating.

The cover image for this volume was taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Exposition: This volume was necessarily heavier on this than others because we actually do get to know Uzui as a character along with his background. I’m not particularly fond of Uzui, so I’m not particularly thrilled with this exposition, but that’s only because of my opinion of the character. Creatively, I respect that exposition was necessary to help establish the next arc.

Worldbuilding: Here’s where the volume gains momentum. You see, while there were several chapters of kooky action, we do get to see more of Tanjiro and his ability. The end of this volume is worth the beginning and middle. I may be confusing Volume 9 and 10 here (let me know in the comments), but I feel like this is the Volume that establishes the deeper history of Tanjiro’s technique and how much of an impact it had on the big bad (whose name escapes me at the moment). The fight is awesome. The flashback is cool. The context it reveals is super satisfying.

Dialogue: Most of the dialogue I mentioned above is thinly hidden in the dialogue. It’s mostly a get to konw Uzui volume, and that greeting is shown in dialogue. The voice is unique, and the character reactions to some of Uzui’s habits are hilarious. But this sort of stuff is par for the course in this series.

Description: So the fight scene in this is particularly stunning. There’s so much going on here and so much detail. the Upper Six they fight has an ability that requires so much detail. It’s really a visual fight that only a manga or anime could do any justice too. This fight might be my second favorite so far (the spider arc is my favorite to date).

Overall: This volume is probably my least favorite so far, but that’s not saying a whole lot. I think zany humor is kind of hit of miss for me. Let me read this later on in a different mood, and I probably love it. But this sort of humor is a kind of humor that relies on mood. However, the last chapter or two really sings with great action, plot development, and world building.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Announcing the Week 2 2021 April Book Cover of the Month! Vote for Week 3’s Cover

Greetings all,

My Book Cover of the Month contest is back in the swing of things. Things have picked up a bit, but we still aren’t getting a ton of votes. I’d be much obliged if you took a few moments to let your voice be heard. Once again, I had to break a tie. I had eight votes, and, sure enough, two books each had two votes. I need your help to get this back to the level of support it had a few years ago before I went on hiatus regarding book covers.

So first, let’s announce the winner for week 2.

The cover for The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner has wonderful color and texture. It really stood out to me from the moment I first saw it.

But, as one week passes, another begins. So you can vote for your favorite Week 3 2021 April Book Cover of the Month right here!

I’d be grateful if you would be so kind as to watch my channel, where I talk about all seven of the covers and why I think they were so cool. My middle son joined me for this episode, so that was nice of him.

Remember to vote for your favorite through the link I provided above! This means that The Lost Apothecary joins Spellmaker in the finals for the 2021 April Book Cover of the Month! You guys can choose who wins the title and then support your favorite in the yearly competition (obviously next year)! I hope you’ll participate.

Thanks for reading and watching,

Matt

Visits From A Man Named Nobody 25

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

Nobody stood and walked over to place a hand on Paul’s shoulder. “What I say may convict you, but I don’t say it to make you feel bad. I say what I say to you to help you. Sometimes a young man just needs to take stock of what’s in his heart.”

Nobody took his hand back and started to walk toward the door. 

“You’re leaving?” Paul hated the sound of longing in his voice for some reason. 

“It would get very awkward for both of us if our conversations got too long at any one time,” Nobody said, stopping just before reaching the door. “I come when there’s something you need to know, and I leave when I’ve said what I came to say. That’s what you need.”

“What if I need more?” Paul asked. He had teachers. He had friends. Well, he had a friend, and when you had a friend as good as Jordan, you didn’t really need many more. But he knew something was missing. He just didn’t want to say what it was. 

“If you need more, then maybe let those who’d like to be in your life have a chance.” Nobody stepped out of the house.

Paul didn’t rush to the door. Indeed, after a few moments, he heard that strange surge of power. The tv and windows reflected the flash of light that always accompanies one of Nobody’s teleportations. He must have been too far away for the odd temperature shift to be felt. If Paul had tried to see it, he wouldn’t have made it in time. He was starting to think about how one might teleport, and soon, he’d start to take notes on his own plan to recreate the technique.  

In the meantime, however, he sat thinking about what Nobody had said. Sure, a lot of what he said made Paul feel bad for a moment or two, but they always helped him do things that made everything better. 

Maybe Bill wasn’t so bad. Paul honestly didn’t know. Paul had never spent more than three seconds around him. Nobody convinced Paul to make friends with Jordan, and that was great. Nobody helped Paul see how cruel he was being to his own mother, and since then, he was closer to his mom than they’d ever been. So what could it hurt to give Bill a chance?

The end of Chapter Six.

… to be continued …